Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said Monday he regretted talking himself into a second technical foul and ejection from Sunday night’s Big Ten Conference road game at Wisconsin, but denied there was any physical contact with an official in that circumstance.

McCaffery’s team led the game at halftime by 11, but that advantage had dwindled to two points by the time he received the first technical, which he admitted he pursued for a strategic reason. “No question,” he said. “It wasn’t like I was surprised.” Following a five-point Wisconsin possession that resulted from the Ts, the Badgers went on to win, 75-71.

“We played near-flawless basketball in the first 20 minutes,” McCaffery said during the Big Ten’s weekly teleconference. He saw the team’s play lapsing and thought a technical foul might energize the Hawkeyes. “I wasn’t pleased with a couple calls, but nothing out of the ordinary. We needed to change some things.

“I shouldn’t have gotten the second one. You’ve got to be man enough to admit that … I didn’t put our team in a position that benefited them.”

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said in a statement he met with McCaffery regarding the incident.

“He knows he crossed a line of acceptable behavior and accepts responsibility for his actions,” Barta said. “All staff at the University of Iowa fully support the Big Ten Conference’s sportsmanship policy’s fundamental elements, including civility and respect toward opponents and game officials. Fran has my full support moving forward.”

McCaffery said the atmosphere around college basketball has changed in recent years, perhaps due to greater media scrutiny.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything that would embarrass the university,” McCaffery said. “We live in a different world. You got a double-T 10 years ago, that was it. I regret the second T, no question.

“In a perfect world, you say your piece, get banged, they get two free throws and we’re done with it.

“I was venting, and it was bang-bang. You’ve got to be able to walk away when the first one hits.”